About the role

The role aims to improve victims' experiences of the justice system by informing the Minister of Justice on victims' perspectives and how their experiences of the system can be improved.

The Chief Victims Advisor provides independent advice to the Minister of Justice and all-of-Government on strategies for supporting victims. She provides advice on briefings and policies received by the Minister and developed by agencies that have implications for victims. The role does not involve advising victims directly.

The role was established as part of a wider suite of Government initiatives aimed at addressing family violence and providing support for all people who experience crime.

If you need support or assistance

Dr McGregor's role as Chief Victims Advisor to Government does not involve supporting victims directly.

If you need support or assistance call the 24-hour Victims Information Line on 0800 650 654.

If you want to know about your rights as a victim or crime, or how to make a complaint about how you have been treated, see Victims' rights on this website or call the Victims Information Line.

Biography

Dr Kim McGregor is the inaugural Chief Victims Advisor to Government in New Zealand, and was appointed to this role in November 2015.

Her role was established as part of a wider suite of government initiatives aimed at addressing family violence and providing support for all people who experience crime. The appointment also sought to improve victim participation in, and engagement with, the criminal justice system.

Alongside her role as Chief Victims Advisor, Dr McGregor is also the Director of her own company, ‘Tiaki Consultants’, which offers specialist sexual violence prevention services including consultation, counselling, research and training. In 2015 Dr McGregor completed a research project for the New Zealand Defence Force that formed the basis for the prevention initiative 'Operation Respect'. Dr McGregor has continued to work in private practice as a therapist for over 30 years.

She was a founding and executive member of Te Ohaakii a Hine - National Network Ending Sexual Violence Together and Chair of the Tauiwi Caucus (2005-2013) as well as a member of the Task Force for Action on Sexual Violence (2007-2009).

She was a founding and executive member of Project Restore (a restorative justice programme specifically developed to deal with cases of sexual violence), and for over 10 years she was the Executive Director of Rape Prevention Education, Whakatu Mauri (2005-2015).